Vehicle Missions

Vehicle missions refer to missions triggered via entry into a vehicle. In GTA 1, vehicle missions serves as one of several methods of accessing main missions, while the feature was toned down for GTA 2. Vehicles missions were expanded as optional side missions in all GTA III era games that are activated from relevant vehicles. The feature is once again toned down in GTA IV.

Contents

GTA 1 — GTA 2

In GTA 1, certain main missions are triggered via entry of certain vehicles parks throughout the city, which presumably contains an occupant who offers a job for the player. In order to actually start the mission, the player is required to remain in the vehicle for a short period of time; players who wish not to proceed can simply exit the vehicle, canceling the job.

A variant of vehicle missions are side missions triggered by simply entering a specific vehicle in a specific location, such as a Love Wagon in San Andreas, which triggers a Kill Frenzy where the player attempts to destroy a number of vehicles within an allocated time.

GTA III — GTA Vice City Stories

Entering a firetruck can start the "Firefighter" missions.

To trigger a vehicle mission between GTA III and GTA Vice City Stories, the player must use the corresponding controls while inside the appropriate vehicle. The missions give the player a time limit to complete the set of objectives in that level, which is calculated with respect to distance (but regardless of real accessibility, e.g. ignores water or limited access to an elevated zone). Cash is rewarded for completion within time. If the player runs out of time, or leaves the vehicle for too long, the mission fails and the player must start from level 1 (for certain GTAs).

Each level gets progressively harder, but the remaining time on the previous levels stacks up to make the harder levels easier. Once the top level is completed (usually level 12), a relevant reward is given to the player. For example in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, completing the Firefighter missions grants the 'Fireproof' ability, which makes the player immune to flames.

GTA IV — GTA Chinatown Wars

By GTA IV, vehicle missions have been eliminated in all but the police cars and Roman's Taxi, which utilize the computer to identify and track down criminals, and transport passengers, respectively. However, in Chinatown Wars, vehicle missions return in full, with some changes and some new additions (such as takeaway delivery.)